SOURCE: IDRW.ORG
India’s ambitious push for self-reliance in unmanned aerial systems (UAS) is facing significant hurdles at the Aeronautical Test Range (ATR) near Chitradurga, Karnataka, as reported by aerospace journalist Anantha Krishnan M. Multiple UAV developers, both from government agencies and private industry, have voiced concerns over persistent delays caused by mandatory clearances from the Airports Authority of India (AAI).
These bureaucratic bottlenecks are disrupting critical testing schedules, even as the ATR emerges as a vital hub for India’s UAV ecosystem, particularly following the strategic lessons from Operation Sindoor earlier this month. The issue underscores the urgent need for regulatory reform to support India’s growing defense innovation, especially as platforms like CSIR-NAL’s High-Altitude Platform (HAP) UAV show promising advancements.
The National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), recently achieved a significant milestone with its subscale High-Altitude Platform (HAP) UAV. Conducted at the DRDO-run ATR, which operates under the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), the HAP UAV completed back-to-back test flights at 24,000 feet above mean sea level (AMSL). These missions demonstrated the platform’s robustness and reliability, marking a key step in its development journey, now in its fourth year.
The HAP UAV, designed as a loitering munition with stealth capabilities, has garnered significant interest from the Indian Air Force (IAF). It is touted for its potential to scale to 40,000 feet in the near future, with an ultimate goal of reaching 70,000 feet—an altitude that would place it among the highest-flying UAVs globally. The platform’s applications span both military and civilian domains, with a particular focus on swarming capabilities, a priority for the IAF following the proliferation of drone threats during Operation Sindoor. The operation, executed from May 7 to May 10, 2025, highlighted the critical role of UAVs in modern warfare, as Pakistan deployed drones to target Indian forward bases, prompting a renewed emphasis on indigenous UAS development.
The ATR, sprawling across 4,387 acres in Challakere, has become a cornerstone of India’s UAV testing infrastructure. It serves as a collaborative hub for government agencies like DRDO, NAL, and ISRO, as well as private industry partners. ISRO, for instance, uses the range to test its Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), while DRDO’s ADE has conducted trials for projects like the SWiFT-K kamikaze drone and the TAPAS-BH-201. The facility’s 2-km-plus runway is currently undergoing expansion, and new support infrastructure, including a wind tunnel for UAV testing, is expected to be operational within the next two years, further enhancing its capabilities.
However, the ATR’s location beneath the busy Bengaluru–Chennai–Bengaluru civil aviation corridor has created operational challenges. Every trial requires prior clearance from the AAI, a process that UAV developers describe as time-consuming and disruptive. The issuance of Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) for each test mission often leads to delays, stalling critical trials and hampering the development timelines of indigenous UAVs. An official familiar with the matter noted, “ATR lies beneath a busy civil aviation corridor… Alongside DRDO and NAL, ISRO also uses the range for testing its RLV,” highlighting the competing demands on the airspace.
Developers argue that the current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) involving repeated NOTAMs are ill-suited for a strategic military range like the ATR. “ATR should be designated as a permanent exclusion zone for civil air traffic. Its surrounding airspace must be reserved solely for defense testing. The current SOPs involving repeated NOTAMs are delaying critical trials. AAI should have no jurisdiction over strategic military ranges,” asserted the official. This sentiment reflects a broader call for reform, as the delays risk undermining India’s ability to rapidly develop and deploy cutting-edge UAS technologies in response to evolving threats.
Attempts to seek clarity from the Union Civil Aviation Minister, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, were unsuccessful. Repeated calls to his mobile phone went unanswered, and a text message sent to one of his Personal Assistants following a brief exchange received no response. Similarly, AAI’s Executive Director (CNS & Planning), Suneel Dutt, clarified that he is not the concerned authority on the issue, leaving the matter unresolved. The lack of immediate response from key stakeholders highlights the bureaucratic inertia that continues to plague India’s defense testing ecosystem, even as the nation strives for self-reliance under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
The issue has gained urgency as a high-profile drone warfare strategy session is currently underway in New Delhi on May 20, 2025. This session, attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Defence, DRDO, and the Armed Forces, aims to chart the future of India’s UAS capabilities in light of recent conflicts. It remains to be seen whether the concerns raised by UAV developers at the ATR will receive due attention, but the session presents a critical opportunity to address the regulatory bottlenecks stifling indigenous innovation.
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